Mother of man charged with slaying family dies from gunshot wound

May 02, 2010

The mother of a man charged last month with the shooting deaths of four family members died Saturday night from a gunshot wound to the head.

Leona Larry, 57, of the 7200 block of South Mozart Street, was pronounced dead at 5:45 p.m. Saturday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to a spokeswoman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Leona Larry was found shot in the head, along with five other family members in the early morning hours of April 14, police said.

Her son, James Larry, is charged with killing his pregnant wife, Twanda Thompson, 19, his 7-month-old son Jihad, and his pregnant niece, Keyshai Fields, 16. He also was charged with the death of another niece, 3-year-old Keleasha Larry, who was found shot in the same bed with her older sister, police said.

James Larry was charged last month with first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child and attempted murder. Police said he confessed to the murders.

James Larry's 13-year-old nephew, Desmond Larry, who he also is charged with shooting, was taken in critical condition to Christ Hospital the morning of the attack. Last month, family members reported he was still at the hospital recovering.

As of this morning, there was no report that Larry had been charged for the fifth murder.